Couples Retreat
by TheChriZ1995
Summary: Valentines Day story! After starting a family Kate and Humphrey could use some time together again after devoting all of it to their pups. They don't mind not having alone time anymore but as the winter comes to a close aunt Lilly steps in and decides that they need a break from the pups for one night. *Short Story*


**A/N: Happy early Valentine's Day everyone, and to celebrate I decided to write a little story for you all to enjoy. This takes place a month or two after the events of A&O 2, which make this my first story to build off of it.**

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Couples Retreat – TheChriZ1995

The late winter sun shined over the landscape of Jasper as life in the united pack continued on like any other day. Alphas completed their patrols and hunts making sure the pack was protected and well fed. The omegas played their games and told jokes to each other, simply having a good time while for filling their role of keeping the peace. Every wolf was just enjoying their lives in a world of zero conflict, ever since the west united with the east food was well supplied and peace was forever kept.

Finally through the cold forest we find three young pups playing in the snow together just outside a large den, the first decedents of an alpha and omega the pack has ever seen. Each of the three pups had their own special traits that set them apart from each other, one had a strong sense of smell while the other had a clever mind and good looks. The last one was the youngest of the three but defiantly had the personality of both their parents. He could be really nice and enjoyed playing games, but get on his bad side and you're in for quite a sting. He didn't fear standing up to those that were bigger than him and has helped his family get out of past dangers from his ability to climb trees. Just by looking at each of them you can tell they had some pretty unique parents, and that was the truth, because without their parents the pack wouldn't be where it was today.

"No fair Runt! How are we so post to tag you if you're all the way up there." A dark grey pup called.

"Yeah, kind of a drag when you can climb trees and we can't." A golden brown pup agreed.

They both were standing at the base of an old oak tree looking up at their brother who sat on a branch high above them. The small grey pup just smiled down at his siblings as they tried to get him to come back down.

"Why not? You'll just tag me of I come back down there!" Runt answered back, he knew he couldn't out run his brother and sister so climbing all the way up here was the only option.

"Well that's kind of the reason it's called tag" Stinky argued

Honestly the main reason he climbed all the way up here was just so that they could play a new game, tag might be fun but after a good hour of running around he felt that it was time to play something else. "Can't we just play something else?" He suggested.

"What is there left to play?" Claudette replied, they had already done a few rounds of hide and seek as well as starting a snowball fight with a few other pups earlier this morning.

"I don't know, just something other than this."

"Alright how about a race then?" Stinky said looking over at his sister then back up at Runt who shook his head.

A race was something he never liked to do and it was for the same reason he didn't like tag all that much, he just couldn't keep up with his brother and sister who were destined to both become alphas. He was going to say that Stinky should pick something else but he happened to look the other way and could see his father walking towards them.

"Actually I think that's enough games for today" He said while still watching his father get closer

"Why's that?" Claudette asked but quickly saw why after looking in the same direction. "Oh, hey dad"

"Hey you two, still playing games I see" He replied stopping next to them.

"Well we were playing tag until Runt decided to climb up this tree so we couldn't get to him." Stinky said looking up

Humphrey followed his sons gaze and saw Runt sitting up in a branch high above him 'I swear he has no fear' he thought to himself before smiling and shaking his head. "Now Runt you know it's not fair if your brother and sister can't get to you."

"But dad I'm tired of playing tag, I can never keep up with them." Runt answered

Humphrey could understand how he felt because he was the same way back when he was a pup, however he knew a way to fix that. "That's why you got to outsmart them, trust me I wasn't the fastest pup around when I was your age, your mother could easily out run me."

"What did you do about it then?" Stinky asked looking at him curiously.

"I used shortcuts, and sometimes tricked her into thinking I was tired of running when really I was only pretending, the look on her face was always funny when she realized I had fooled her." He smiled remembering the distant memories of being a pup and having not a single trouble in the world. But those days were over for both him and Kate and now they could see it continue on through their pups.

"Don't go giving him ideas dad, you know he's going to start using them on us now." Claudette said clearly not pleased about what her father was suggesting.

"That's the plan, besides he could use some of the tricks I learned considering he's only an omega and chasing alphas is no easy task."

"You mean you're going to teach me some of your tricks?" Runt asked happily as his tail wagged. He knew that if he could out smart his brother and sister then he would have a chance when it came to games like racing and tag.

"You bet bud!" Humphrey replied "but first we should be getting back home, your mother just brought us some lunch from her morning hunt."

"Good, after all this running around I could use a meal." Stinky agreed with his sister nodding beside him.

"Yeah you and me both" He said before starting to walk away with both of them following on either side of him, but he stopped and looked back up and Runt. "Come on Runt I'm sure you're hungry too!"

"Coming dad!" Runt replied before making his way down the tree, jumping from branch to branch until falling into the soft snow at the bottom.

Humphrey smiled once he walked up to next to them and motioned for them all to follow as he led them back to their den. How his son learned to climb trees he will never know, but out of all his pups he knew Runt would be the one to turn out the most like him, and as he grew up he became just that. He enjoyed playing games and making jokes almost as much as he did, not to mention his fur closely matched his own. However he still had his mother's alpha personality in him, which became apparent after the whole ordeal with the rouge wolves.

While the group made their way back home Kate was already preparing the deer so that her pups could easily eat it, since they were still young they lacked the strength needed to be able to rip off their own share by themselves. It was just one of the many things her and Humphrey had to do as parents even if at times it was a challenge to look after them. Yet though it all she has enjoyed seeing them grow up and experiencing the joys of being a mother. She knew that one day they will be leaving the den and carrying on their own lives as the next generation of wolves in this pack, but that was many months away. However she didn't raise them alone, her mate always kept them occupied playing games while she was gone doing things and even taught them the many things they needed to know about being a wolf. She found that him teaching them what he knew as an omega and what she knew as an alpha was giving them the knowledge of both ranks. In a way knowing both ranks when they're older will really set them apart from the rest of the pack, but in the best of ways.

Becoming parents has brought her and Humphrey closer together then they ever have before, and to think that all those years ago they were just two opposites. Their relationship showed to others that love will always find a way to overcome challenges. She began to hear the sounds of multiple paw steps approaching and quickly laid out three separate prices of meat in front of her. Humphrey entered the den first and was quickly followed by the rest of the family, she smiled noticing that they all looked kind of tired.

"Hi there, did you have fun in the snow today?" She asked looking down at them

"Yeah mom, we played all kinds of games!" Claudette replied happily.

"We even started a snowball fight with some of the other pups." Runt added

Kate laughed lightly "Really? That's great, well go ahead and dig in I'm sure your all pretty hungry from running around."

Humphrey stood beside her as their pups wasted no time digging into their lunch, he smiled and looked at Kate "You would think it's been days since they last ate."

She laughed at his joke "Yeah we better be careful, they might eat all of the packs food at this rate."

They both walked over to the diseased deer and began to enjoy the food themselves while carrying on their conversation. "So what have you been up while I was away mister? I heard you spent some time with the guys." Kate asked looking at her mate

"Yeah we mostly just talked and played a few rounds of berry ball before I went to go check on the pups." He replied

"Sounds fun, hopefully you weren't eating any of those fermented berries while playing." She said raising and eyebrow.

"Nah, as soon as pack got word about those they were all gone within a few days." He replied shaking his head "Besides it's not like there that bad."

"I don't know, I've seen how loopy you get after eating some" She smiled

"Loopy, or just me having a good time?" He said, those berries didn't really have an effect on him but Kate still insisted they did. "You haven't even tried any so how would know?"

"Your right I haven't, but last thing I need is to lose focus during something important." She agreed

He just laughed, even after the years they have been together she still and will always have that strong responsible alpha side within her. At least he has been able to loosen her up and has taught her how to have fun again, since alpha school practically erased that. They continued to talk and eat until they looked to notice that a familiar white wolf had walked into the den, Kate smiled before getting up to go greet her sister.

"Hey sis, how are you?" She asked as they hugged

"I've been good, just taking things easy" Lilly replied smiling

"The pups haven't been giving you trouble have they?" Kate asked.

About a few weeks ago she and Humphrey got the news that they were going to become an aunt and an uncle, which was a thrill for Kate. She knew it was only a matter of time that her sister would be having her own family after seeing herself go through the joys of raising pups. Stinky, Claudette, and Runt were pretty excited as well after learning that they would soon have some cousins to play games and hang out with. Now the pack would have the decedents of another alpha and omega couple which surly meant that more were to follow in the future.

"Not really, I haven't felt any kicking yet so I'm just pacing myself ahead of time." She replied

"Oh believe me you'll know when they do, these guys were quite the movers back then." Kate said gesturing towards her pups as they talked on the other side of the den, unaware that Lilly was here.

"Yeah I remember"

"So what brings you by?" Kate asked changing the subject

"Well after sitting in my den for most of the day I realized something." Lilly began sitting down, Kate and Humphrey did the same. "After I have pups all of mine and Garth's free time will go towards raising them, of course I already knew that but I didn't understand that it also meant that we wouldn't have our own time together for a year or two."

Kate already understood how Lilly felt, she had that thought as well but after her pups were born she realized that her and Humphrey still had plenty of time together. It's just that they had pups with them which neither of them minded, the need to spend time together as a couple melted away as they simply enjoyed raising their pups. Now they both rather spend time together as one family because eventually it'll be back to just the two of them in a year's time. However unknown to them Lilly had something in store for them both.

"After we had our pups we realized that our time together was to be spent with our pups as a family, trust me you and Garth will still have plenty of time to spend together while your pups are out playing games and exploring the world." Kate reassured her sister

"Yeah, in fact having pups has brought the two of us together." Humphrey added wrapping his foreleg around Kate who nodded in agreement. Through thick and thin, stress and obstacles, and working out any arguments the two always ended the day on a good note.

Lilly smiled at hearing that "But don't you two want just one night away from your pups to spend some time alone as a couple again?" She asked.

They both looked at each other before looking back at her "Not really, I mean we have the rest of our lives for that once they become adults." Kate replied.

However Humphrey did agree that maybe for one night he and Kate should go a little date together just for fun, but they never had the time to of course.

"Well after seeing all the work you two have put in to raising your beautiful family, I think you two do deserve a break just for one night." Lilly continued.

Kate quickly realized what her sister was saying "Oh Lilly that's very nice of you, but we're both perfectly happy spending our time here as a family."

"No I insist, besides I have just been sitting in my den all day so I'd rather spend time with your pups and see you two go on a date together just to get away from things for a while." She argued.

Kate couldn't believe her sister would do this for her, offer to take care of their pups just so her and Humphrey could go spend time together. She wasn't sure what she should do since this was the first time someone offered to take care of them during a normal situation. Realizing that she was busy thinking about what to do Humphrey decided to step in and make her see that they could use a night together for the first time in months.

"Come on honey it'll be fun, just me, you, and a beautiful night sky to which we can howl too." He suggested "Don't make me start begging"

Kate smiled and shook her head, she knew she couldn't resist the puppy face he had when he begged. "Oh alright, I suppose we could use some fun for just one night." She finally agreed.

"So it's a date?" He asked wagging his tail

"It's a date!" She replied before quickly kissing him.

Lilly smiled seeing how excited they were, she knew her sister couldn't resist her offer. She was going to say something to them but before she did she felt something warp around her foreleg, she looked down to meet Runt's gaze.

"Hi aunt Lilly" He said happily, hugging her to the best of his ability.

"Hey there Runt!" She replied returning the hug before they parted

"So what brings you here?" He asked as Stinky and Claudette walked up next to him.

"I decided to come hang out with you three while your parents go out on a date tonight."

"A date?" Claudette asked before looking back at her mother and father who now stood next to each other.

"That's right, she thought your mother and I could spend some time together for a night and offered to watch over you guys while were gone." Humphrey replied looking at each of them.

"What's a date?" Stinky asked, none of them understood how relationships and love worked yet.

He smiled knowing that he and Kate would have to teach them what love was, but that was for another day "Well it's when a married couple like ourselves goes out and spends time together whether it be having a nice dinner, talking, or howling at the moon even."

"Don't worry, you'll all fully understand it one day when you find someone special." Kate added

"It sounds like fun" Runt replied

"Yeah it's a lot of fun, so we expect you to be on your best behavior while were gone." Humphrey said

"Yes and do take it easy on aunt Lilly, she's not feeling her best today" Kate said looking at her sister.

"Don't worry mom and dad I'm sure we'll be fine here with Lilly" Stinky said

"Yeah you have nothing to worry about" Claudette agreed

"I don't doubt that, now give us a hug goodbye and we'll see you tomorrow morning." Kate said holding out her fore legs

They hugged their pups goodbye before thanking Lilly once again for doing this for them, she smiled and said that it was no problem and told them that they should go enjoy themselves. They both nodded before exiting into the afternoon sun and headed out into the snow covered forest. Where they were going they had no idea but that wasn't important, what was important was that they were spending time together.

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Clouds slowly rolled over the snow covered mountain peaks as the day began to come to a close, the sun was getting lower in the sky causing it to slowly change from blue to a vibrant yellow-orange. While most wolves back in Jasper would be getting ready to end their activities for the day, the night had only just begun for a particular couple. They had left the packs territory and started to climb their way up the nearby mountain side. After suggesting things to do for the night they settled on the idea of climbing a little ways up the mountain so they could admire the sunset and eventually the night sky. Really all they had planned was to watch the sunset and howl at the moon before returning back home late in the night.

They plowed their way through the soft powder that got deeper the further they ventured upwards, they laughed at their struggles and helped each other up if they sank in too far. It might have taken them an hour or two to get all the way to where they were now but the view will be all worth it. The trees began to thin out and Humphrey could see the destination a few hundred yards away.

"We're almost there" He said

"Good, the snow is starting to become almost impossible to walk through" Kate replied right behind him.

Luckily the weather conditions were perfect to come all the way up here, normally low hanging clouds covered these peaks throughout the whole winter. Ahead of the couple was a rock formation that stuck out over the slope, allowing for an unobstructed view of everything in Jasper. This place was kind of a kept secret to those who lived in the united pack, it surly was a romantic place to go during nights of the full moon, but it was also a place wolves could just go and admire the views. A few dozen trees surrounded the rocks but eventually further up the mountain all that was left was just a plain white face of a mountain top. Finally Kate and Humphrey arrived at their destination, they both panted from exhaustion as they stepped out onto the flat stone overhang. The trees opened up and revealed the view that lay beyond, the valley, den grounds, howling rock, and even the railroad tracks, you could see it all from here.

"Wow it never gets old does it?" Kate said out of breath, sitting down near the edge.

Humphrey sat down beside her "Yeah, it's always so stunning." He agreed.

She smiled "I still can't believe my sister is doing this for us."

"Well I'm glad she did, I've been waiting go out on a date with you again."

She giggled lightly "I've felt the same way, but we both knew back when we planned to have our family that the pups will become our main priority."

"I know, and now we can say we have everything we've ever wanted in life" He replied.

"We've conquered our differences and found love, help allow alphas and omegas to become mates, get to live out our lives in this beautiful place, and start our own family," Kate said "but we still haven't gotten one last thing."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"To get to watch our pups grow up in this world and see where there destines take them."

"You're right, I look forward to seeing each of them as a full grown adult." Humphrey smiled

"Yeah, me too"

The sun's rays grew brighter before them as day came to a close, the couple continued to talk before silently watching the sun disappear behind the distant mountains across from them. Kate rested her head against Humphrey's shoulder and let herself relax as he held her, no words were said between them even after the sun left and darkness slowly came. They were just enjoying each other's presence and making the most of their time here in this beautiful place they called home. Everything was perfect in their lives, no troubles, no conflicts, just nothing but living both of their lives to the fullest.

Eventually they picked up a conversation again, talking about their little family and what the future held for all of them. It was nice to unwind and talk to each other about how things were going and what their thoughts were of raising a family so far. One thing was for certain, and that was they would do it all again if given an opportunity, but three pups was enough for them in life. Some think that raising a family can bring stress on a romantic relationship, and Kate and Humphrey found out how true that was. However their love for each other always burned through, they respected their thoughts, opinions, and always worked out a solution in an argument. Now they could step back and admire all the work they have done, they had three beautiful healthy pups who had a bright shining future ahead of all of them.

The two wolves laughed and reminisced about the past as they gave each other affection every now and then, this was there idea of a good time, sitting close together and just having fun talking about the past, present, and future. What more would a couple possibly want in a date other than a nice quite evening with only themselves and a nice romantic view. The setting around them began to change silver in color as the moon became the new source of light, it wasn't quite full yet but it still shined nearly as bright as day.

Humphrey looked at his mate as they talked about the adventure they had going to Banff and rescuing Runt, Kate's good looks was always a bonus to him since he cherished personality rather than outer beauty. And if he had to choose when she looked the most beautiful he would have to say it was when the moonlight shinned on her. The white-grey light reflecting off of her golden fur was enough to make him think that she was an angel, and reminded him just how lucky he was to have her as his mate. Kate felt the same way about him, sure he wasn't the strongest of wolves around but what he lacked in muscle he made up for in having a strong and loving heart. Unlike most male alphas she's met in her live Humphrey didn't just love her for her looks, it was what was on the inside that counted. He made her feel special, like she was the only family member he had ever had, and in a way that was true. She will be forever grateful in her chose to marry him rather then follow her responsibility to marry Garth.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Humphrey said after they kissed

"And have I ever told you how handsome you are?" She replied smiling

"Many times yes, but have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"As much as there are stars in the sky" She said

"That is right, so how about we howl to those stars" He said holding up his paw and point it to the sky.

"It's been so long since we last howled you know"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean your angelic howl isn't any less amazing" He stated

"How about we find out?"

"Ladies first"

Humphrey watched as she raised her nose to the sky and soon her voice filled the air around them, she didn't give any rhythm to it, just a long and beautiful note. He raised his nose upward and allowed his own howl to mix in with hers, just like on the train all that time ago they mixed perfectly. After he joined in on the soft song it began to change through varying pitch until forming a melody, her voice taking the higher side while his stayed down lower. Seconds ticked by as their song continued on, always changing but sometimes coming back on its self.

Eventually they both opened their eyes and looked at each other while swaying along to the beat, oh how great it felt to be howling together again after a many month hiatus. Not to mention that their love song still sounded amazing as if they did this every night, but that's just the magic of finding your perfect match. When Humphrey finally convinced Kate to howl with him back on the train it became very apparent that they were a match, rank meant nothing after that. If an alpha and an omega could have matching howls then that showed that opposites could be together regardless of if it was right.

A solid five minutes had passed as their song gradually came to a conclusion much like how it has started, with a long single ending note. Silence was returned to the forest around them, nothing else was heard but their light breathing and the wind passing through the tree tops. They couldn't hold back their smiles from how much they enjoyed the duet, eventually their gaze met and they stared into each other's eyes. This night was something to remember for them both, it might have been a usual date but for some reason the experience was rather enjoyable.

They felt frozen as they continued to stare at each other, but the need for touch soon brought them inching closer together, their noses pressed together and they never parted. Moments passed by and they found themselves separated from the rest of the world, like it was just the two of them and only the need to express their love. They softly fell down onto the cold stone, never breaking their kiss and wrapped their fore legs around each other. Eventually the lack of oxygen forced them to part and catch their breaths. Humphrey was in a total daze as he smiled at Kate, who was amazed by how lost in her feelings she got during their howl and long kiss.

"That was amazing" She lightly said, digging her head into his chest as they continued to lie there.

"Yeah" He agreed, slowly coming back down to reality

"Your right you know, it has been way too long since we've spent some time together like this."

"I know, and I'm glad we got to do this" He replied "This was something we both needed"

"Mmhm" She agreed

"And your howl is still as beautiful as ever"

"Thank you honey, yours is still beautiful as well"

They both sighed and continued to savor the moments they spent lying close together with the stars and moon watching overhead, again it felt like it was only them in the world. Time passed by until Humphrey felt the cold breeze along his back, it was time they headed back home before they ended up falling asleep here.

"I think we should be getting back home, I feel the cold starting to set in." He said

"Aww but I was just starting to enjoy your warmth" Kate teased, but still got up when he did.

"Well you can enjoy it again once we get back to the den."

They took one last look at the view before starting their way down the slope they had climbed a few hours before, it really wasn't that late in the night but they still had an hour or so hike until they reached the comforts of their warm den. Kate quickly decided that they could run down the mountain for fun, Humphrey of course couldn't say no to something like that and agreed. However the run turned into a game of who could go the longest without falling since the deep snow sometimes threw them off balance. They laughed and cheered as they fell over and over again before finally reaching snow that was much more navigable.

With their little game over and Kate declared the victor the two didn't say another word along their journey home. The cool breeze passed through their fur and they stayed close together to keep warm from the chill it gave. Of course it didn't help that they had some snow stuck onto them after they tried to shake it all off, but the cold punishment was worth it from the fun they had getting to run down that hill. As their nice date away from the world came to a close the familiar sights of their territory began to appear and soon they were in the den grounds. Everyone was asleep which made this place look as if it was deserted and not the center of one of the largest packs around.

Kate and Humphrey finally made it back home inside their den to find their pups all sleeping close together on one side of the den with Lilly and Garth not too far away. They smiled at the sight and figured that Lilly would have gone back home to go to sleep but that wasn't the case. Kate didn't mind that they would be spending the night here, their den had plenty of room to sleep multiple wolves considering it used to belong to the head alphas. They silently made their way past all of them and to the back of the den where they laid down together. They whispered their loves for each other before huddling close for warmth as they fell asleep with Humphrey's fore legs wrapped around Kate and their tails intertwined. Their night together was over and it was an enjoyable experience for both of them, but now it was back to the grind of parenthood.

THE END

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**A/N: There you have it, one pretty lengthy Valentine's Day story. I enjoyed writing this one, and hopefully you felt the same way after reading it. I also had fun including the pups in this one, I figured it was only a matter of time until I included them in one of my stories. Anyway, feel free to review if you like and I'll cya around.**


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